More Tabloid Headlines From a Tabloid Presidency, As the Marriage of Wealth and Power Between Two Infantile Ego-Maniacs Heads For Divorce
We begin with the tabloid presidency creating tabloid headlines, as the public spat between two infantile ego-maniacs, the world’s richest man and the world’s most powerful man, dominates the news. As the sick marriage of wealth and power is now ending and heading for divorce, we speak with Moira Donegan, writer in residence at the Clayman Institute for Gender Research at Stanford University. Her work has appeared in The London Review of Books, Bookforum, and The Paris Review. She is the co-host of the podcast In Bed With The Right and a columnist at The Guardian, where her latest article is “The inevitable Trump-Musk feud is finally here – and it’s pathetic.”
Political Activism Versus Centrist Pragmatism: The Choices Facing the Moribund Democratic Party in New York City’s Mayoral Race
Then we look into the mayoral race in New York City that appears to be emblematic of the choices facing the moribund Democratic Party: whether to support political activism or centrist pragmatism. We will discuss the surging campaign of the upstart socialist Zohran Kwame Mamdani, who is supported by small donations from tenants, and former Governor Cuomo, who is supported by big donations from landlords. Joining us is Harold Meyerson, one of the nation’s best-known progressive columnists and editor-at-large of The American Prospect where his latest articles are “Trump Labor Nominees Indifferent to Worker Rights” and “Polling Conundrums: Activist Government, Si; Democrats, No!”
Trump Claims Putin is “Tapping Him Along,” But is Trump Stringing Us All Along?
Then finally, we assess whether Trump, who recently said Putin is “tapping him along,” is stringing us all along, pretending to be the honest broker appalled at the death toll in Ukraine, but in reality is in Putin’s pocket, wanting to give away the store to the man he most admires but needing to appear that he is standing up for America’s interests and its alliances. Joining us is Michael Gorham, Professor of Russian Studies at the University of Florida. He is the author of two award-winning books on language culture and politics: After Newspeak: Language Culture and Politics in Russia from Gorbachev to Putin and Speaking in Soviet Tongues: Language Culture and the Politics of Voice in Revolutionary Russia. His forthcoming book is, Networking Putinism: The Rhetoric of Power in the Digital Age, devoted to the impact of digital media on Russian political rhetoric.